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Category: African American Studies

December 6, 2011

Jason Morgan Ward: The Short Distance from Civil War to Civil Rights

This year marks two momentous and inseparable moments in the history of American race relations: the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War and the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides. That most commemorations of the former have neglected to mention the latter reveals a nagging reluctance to connect too directly the Civil War and the modern civil rights movement. But for white southerners in the mid-20th century, the link between Civil War and civil rights was crystal clear. Continue Reading Jason Morgan Ward: The Short Distance from Civil War to Civil Rights

Categories African American History/African American Studies/American History/Author blog entry/Civil Rights/Civil War/Guest Bloggers/History/Southern Studies
November 17, 2011

“Was Freedom Enough?” Gregory Downs at NY Times Disunion Blog

An excerpt from Gregory Downs’s blog at the NY Times Disunion Series concerning the livelihood of newly emancipated slaves. Continue Reading “Was Freedom Enough?” Gregory Downs at NY Times Disunion Blog

Categories African American History/African American Studies/American History/American Studies/Biography / Autobiography/Civil War/Southern Studies/UNC Press Authors
November 11, 2011

Watch: Demo of Enhanced Ebook of Give My Poor Heart Ease, by William Ferris

See the features of the enhanced ebook for Give My Poor Heart Ease: Voices of the Mississippi Blues, by William Ferris. Features include embedded video & audio. Continue Reading Watch: Demo of Enhanced Ebook of Give My Poor Heart Ease, by William Ferris

Categories African American History/African American Studies/folklore/Music/Southern Studies
November 8, 2011

North Carolina’s eugenics history: Testimonies from victims (video)

Rock Center with Brian Williams airs a story about North Carolina’s history of state-ordered sterilizations, featuring audio recordings of social workers involved in the program that were uncovered in Johanna Schoen’s research on the subject in the 1990s. Continue Reading North Carolina’s eugenics history: Testimonies from victims (video)

Categories African American Studies/American History/Biology/Ethics/Health / Medicine/North Carolina/Public Policy/Science/Sociology/UNC Press Authors/Women's Studies
October 26, 2011

Montford Point Marines Receive Highest Congressional Honor

The black Marines who integrated the last all-white branch of the U.S. military receive Congressional honor. The book The Marines of Montford Point tells their stories. Continue Reading Montford Point Marines Receive Highest Congressional Honor

Categories African American History/African American Studies/American History/Civil Rights/Current Events/History/Interviews/Military Studies/North Carolina/Podcasts
October 19, 2011

On the MLK Memorial–Celebrating “A Day That Would Not Be Denied”

Here are some beautiful images of the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial, as well as a thoughtful meditation by UNC Press author Blair L. M. Kelley on the subject of King’s work and legacy. Continue Reading On the MLK Memorial–Celebrating “A Day That Would Not Be Denied”

Categories African American Studies/Blair L. M. Kelley/Civil Rights/UNC Press News
October 5, 2011

The Lost History of the Cherokee Freedmen Controversy

Today, over at the First Peoples blog, UNC Press author Celia Naylor writes about the history and current events surrounding the Cherokee freedmen controversy. In particular, she draws our attention to the historical import of the Dawes Commission, especially as regards sovereignty, race, and citizenship. Continue Reading The Lost History of the Cherokee Freedmen Controversy

Categories African American History/African American Studies/American History/Civil Rights/History/Native Amer./Indigenous Studies/UNC Press Authors
September 20, 2011

Congratulations to Tiya Miles, 2011 MacArthur Fellow

We’re thrilled to offer our heartiest congratulations to historian Tiya Miles for being awarded a 2011 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (aka the “Genius Grant”). Miles is the author of “The House on Diamond Hill: A Cherokee Plantation Story”. From the announcement: “A scholar of range and promise, and increasingly an authoritative voice in reframing and reinterpreting the history of our diverse nation, Miles is adding texture and depth to the mosaic that was our shared past and that is our heritage.” Continue Reading Congratulations to Tiya Miles, 2011 MacArthur Fellow

Categories African American History/African American Studies/Awards/History/Native Amer./Indigenous Studies/UNC Press Authors
September 6, 2011

Jill Ogline Titus: Back-to-School Reflections

Jill Ogline Titus reflects on how Prince Edward Co., VA, responded to Brown vs. BoE by closing all public schools for 5 years to avoid integrating them. Continue Reading Jill Ogline Titus: Back-to-School Reflections

Categories African American History/African American Studies/American History/Author blog entry/Civil Rights/Education/Guest Bloggers/Politics/UNC Press Authors
August 26, 2011

Rebecca de Schweinitz: More Than Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream

Rebecca de Schweinitz looks at the many people who share Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision as we approach the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington. Continue Reading Rebecca de Schweinitz: More Than Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream

Categories African American History/African American Studies/American History/Author blog entry/Civil Rights/Guest Bloggers/Politics/UNC Press Authors
August 24, 2011

Historians on ‘The Help’: Vanessa May and Rebecca Sharpless Respond

Historians Vanessa May and Rebecca Sharpless discuss what’s wrong and what’s right with ‘The Help.’ Continue Reading Historians on ‘The Help’: Vanessa May and Rebecca Sharpless Respond

Categories African American History/African American Studies/American History/Author blog entry/Civil Rights/Film/Guest Bloggers/History/Labor Studies/Southern Studies/Women's Studies
August 22, 2011

Marvin McAllister: Margaret Bowland and Janasia Smith: Subject and Artist at Play

Like the estranging whiteface minstrels and stage Europeans throughout African American performance history, Bowland’s portraits invite us to view whiteness with fresh and open eyes. Continue Reading Marvin McAllister: Margaret Bowland and Janasia Smith: Subject and Artist at Play

Categories African American History/African American Studies/Art / Architecture/Author blog entry/Cultural Studies/Guest Bloggers
June 13, 2011

Marvin McAllister: Idris Elba ‘Multi-Levels’ THOR: Norse Mythology Meets Yoruba Cosmology

Historian Marvin McAllister explores the racial and mythical dimensions of casting a black British actor in the role of a Norse god in the recent film THOR. Continue Reading Marvin McAllister: Idris Elba ‘Multi-Levels’ THOR: Norse Mythology Meets Yoruba Cosmology

Categories African American Studies/Author blog entry/Current Events/Film/Guest Bloggers/Media Studies/Religion
June 8, 2011

Philip Rubio comments on black unemployment & the legacy of segregation

Philip F. Rubio, postal worker-turned-history scholar and author of There’s Always Work at the Post Office: African American Postal Workers and the Fight for Jobs, Justice, and Equality, has recently lent his expertise on race issues in government employment and especially the postal service in two very different but equally fascinating news outlets.  In a recent Huffington Post feature, “Black… Continue Reading Philip Rubio comments on black unemployment & the legacy of segregation

Categories African American History/African American Studies/Civil Rights/Labor Studies/UNC Press Authors
May 25, 2011

Brian D. Behnken: Vanquishing Race by Banishing Words?: Ethno-racial Designations and the Problem of Postracialism

The problem with postracialism is that it doesn’t jibe with reality and, despite the best intentions of its advocates, it obscures and constricts the multifaceted nature of identity. Continue Reading Brian D. Behnken: Vanquishing Race by Banishing Words?: Ethno-racial Designations and the Problem of Postracialism

Categories African American History/African American Studies/American History/American Studies/Asian Studies/Author blog entry/Civil Rights/Cultural Studies/Guest Bloggers/History/Latino Studies